Age of ReformUnit Review

Test Description

The test will have 20 questions

Including:

IDENTIFICATION

Quotes & Pictures

Open Ended

Working ConditionsDangerous & Long hours

In 1910, 70% of all laborers worked 54 hour weeks

Very high accident rates <-- 25% of workers injured or killed between 1907-1910

Progressives called for: 8 hour workdays, minimum wages, safer working conditions, end to child labor

Social Problems

Populists, Social Gospel ministers & Progressives were all inspired by “the Spirit of Social Justice”

John Dewey = Progressive philosopher/ educator... believed public education should prepare students to function & succeed in society

Muckraking

Many journalists & authors began to write about the horrors of society, working conditions, etc

These journalists & authors were known as “Muckrakers”

Muckrakers helped push Progressive ideas to Americans

Samuel Gompers & “Company Towns”

“Miner’s families… had to make their purchases of all the necessaries of life, meager as they were, form the company stores at double the prices for which they could be had elsewhere… It was a common saying that children were brought into the world by the company doctor, lived in a company house… were buried in a company coffin, and laid away in the company graveyard.”

How does this quote describe the lives of children in Company Towns?

Labor LawsChild Labor

2 million children working in factories by 1910

Girls working 16+ hours a day in factories

Children working all night long

Orphans sent off to work in factories

“Capital has neither morals nor ideals”

George Creel wrote “Children in Bondage” about American child labor

Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

1911 NYC’s Triangle Shirtwaist Company

500 Jewish & Italian immigrant women were ending 6 day work week

Fire erupted in rag bin

8th floor of 10 story building was completely on fire

Impossible to escape... Fire doors were locked, only 2 stairwells

Women jumped from windows, 143 women died

Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

City & Country was outraged

Lawmakers passed protective legislation (laws)

NYC had strictest fire codes after incident

Labor UnionsAFL

American Federation of Labor

Worked within “system”

Run by Samuel Gompers

Excluded unskilled workers (urban workers, Eastern European immigrants, African Americans)

Labor UnionsIWW

Industrial Workers of the World

Opposed Capitalism, led by William “Big Bill” Hayward

Organized Lumber workers, migrant farmers, miners, texile workers... African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans & Women

In order to “overthrow” capitalism

Labor Unions“[Union women working] side by side with men in strikes will soon develop a fighting force that will end capitalism and its horrors in short order.” - IWW Newspaper

Army(L) vs. IWW (R)

Tenement Houses

New York State Tenement House Act:

Required any new tenement houses be built around open courtyards to allow in light & air

Must have 1 bathroom in every apt

Other states followed NY

Cleaning Up The City

Progressives believed that a “cleaner city would produce better citizens”

Progressives soon created City Planning Movement

ProhibitionAnti Saloon League & Women’s Christian Temperance Union led crusade against alcohol

ASL had branches in 39 states with 200 staff members

Saloons were “the parent of crimes and the mother of sins”

1917 congress proposed 18th Amendment... 1919 states ratified 18th Amendment

18th Amendment = Banned manufacture, sale & distribution of alcoholic beverages

W.E.B. Du BoisOne of the most influential African Americans during early 1900s

Wrote The Souls of Black Folk in 1903

Dual identification as Black & American

He organized a series of Pan-African congresses & attracted black leaders from around the world

In 1961, joined Communist Party & moved to Ghana

Black Nationalist, scholar & political activist

N.A.A.C.P.National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

Founded by W.E.B. Du Bois

Dedicated to ending racial discrimination

Used court system to fight for civil rights

National Urban League

Founded in 1911 by blacks & whites

Also fought for racial equality

Improved job opportunities & housing for urban African Americans

Wanted to help African American migrants from southern states adjust to new northern cities

Americanization“A process of preparing foreign-born residents for full U.S. citizenship.”

Assimilate immigrants/make them more like native-born Americans

Focused on Education & learning English

“We sensed a disrespect for the alien traditions in our homes and come unconsciously to resent and despise those traditions… because they seemed [impossible] barriers between ourselves and the adopted land.” – Eugene Lyons, Assignment in Utopia

How does this quote describe hardships faced by “Americanized” immigrants?

Election ReformDirect Primary: A nominating election where voters choose the candidates who later run in the General Election (Democratic Party elects their candidate, Republican Party elects their candidate = 2 candidates for General Election)

17th Amendment: 1913 - Voters had the power to elect their Senators directly (NJ voters elected Bob Menendez to Senate = 17th Amendment)

Recall: Allows voters to remove an elected official from office by having a special election (usually done if politicians are CORRUPT)

Election Reform“Today is states having the primary under the state control the corporation [political machine] candidate for any public office is handicapped.” - William Allen White, The Revival of Democracy (1910)

How did most Americans feel about the new election process?

Most Americans vote now counted... Big Business & Political Machines DO NOT control elections <-- ¡¡¡THIS IS GOOD!!!

Reforming GovernmentRobert M. La Follette created Wisconsin Idea

Called for:

Direct Primaries

Increase in taxes on RR & public utilities (electric, gas, streetcar companies, etc)

Create panels to regulate companies in the PUBLIC INTEREST

Supported Labor Reforms & Unions

His policies influenced other state leaders